Page 18 of Traveler (Soulbound #1)
Aly
The following da y I got a message from Barrett telling me that I had a meeting with my new tutor. Which I totally needed. Vin, I guess his name was, sent me a list of things to work on before we met later today. So off to the training grounds I went.
Vivianne had told me that I could head to the training grounds this morning, and no one should be over there. And considering I was about to try and probably fail epically at this, not having an audience seemed ideal.
When I finally arrive at the fire training grounds, I decide to practice the meditation that Vin sent me. Apparently centering Yourself and not stressing helps You to I don't know… not light Yourself on fire.
I take 3 calming breaths and allow my fire magic to come forward but sit simmering still inside of my body allowing the pressure to grow without allowing it to take over. And trust me it’s a lot harder than it sounds.
Eventually I allow small amounts of magic to escape trying to create a small ring of fire around me in the sand.
My magic surges and I attempt to keep it at bay. Shit this is not working. Before I can reign it back in, I’m doused in the coldest water I think I’ve ever felt. Holy shit.
“What the fuck!” I screech my eyes fly open to see a scowling man standing across from me his hand still raised from his assault
The second our eyes meet the bond snaps into place and where my mouth drops, and my eyes grow wide from the shock this guy’s face twists in anger.
“What are You doing here?” He growls.
“Uh- trying to work on my fire magic.” I allow a little of my magic to slip out allowing the heat to dry me and my clothes.
“I reserved this circle. You shouldn’t be here.” He grits. Looking me up and down.
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t know I had to reserve it. Did You really have to dump a lake worth of water on my head?”
“I mean it was that or You start a small forest fire.” He smirks.
I glared at him, my body still tingling from the icy assault. “ I had it under control.”
He let out a sharp laugh, cold and cutting. “ Oh, really ? Because from where I’ m standing, it looked like You were two seconds away from torching the entire clearing.”
“ Maybe I was!” I shot back, crossing my arms. “ And I woul d’ ve handled it, but someone decided to dump half a lake on my head instead of giving me a chance to fix it!”
He cocked his head, his dark eyes narrowing. “ Right. You looked so in control with Your magic flaring out of You like a broken faucet. If I had n’ t stopped You, you’d be halfway to starting a wildfire by now.”
I ground my teeth together, trying not to focus on how irritatingly smug he looked standing there. His sharp jaw and tousled hair migh t’ ve been attractive if he were n’ t such an ass. “ Who even are You?”
“ Carion,” he said simply, his gaze sweeping over me again, as if sizing me up. “ And I reserved this training ground. You should n’ t even be here.”
“ Well, I did n’ t know reservations were a thing,” I snapped. “ My cousin told me this place would be empty, so forgive me for not expecting to get ambushed by the fire circle police.”
His lips twitched, like he was holding back a smirk. “ Fire circle police? Tha t’ s cute.”
“ Glad You think so,” I said flatly. “ Now, if Yo u’ re done playing hero, I’ d like to get back to my practice —unless You plan to soak me every time, I breathe too hard.”
Cario n’ s eyes darkened, his expression sharpening. “ You do n’ t get it, do You? This magic Yo u’ re playing with—i t’ s dangerous. You lose focus for one second, and someone will get hurt. Next time, it might not be just You.”
I hesitated, the weight of his words sinking in despite my irritation. But I was n’ t about to let him see that. “ I am trying to control it. Tha t’ s why I’ m here. I do n’ t need You babysitting me.”
He stepped closer, and I stiffened, the air between us charged with tension. “ Not likely firefly, more like trying to keep the bunnies in the forest safe.” His voice dropped, low and edged with sarcasm that would make Vivienne proud. “ What You need is someone who actually knows what the y’ re doing. Because from what I’ ve seen. Yo u’ re nowhere near ready to be out here on Your own.”
“ Oh, and let me guess—You think Yo u’ re the guy to teach me?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Carion raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. “ Maybe. Or maybe I just do n’ t feel like spending the rest of my day putting out the fires You ca n’ t handle.”
I glared at him, my magic flaring instinctively under my skin. “ I can handle myself just fine.”
“ Sure.” he said, taking a step back but not looking away. “You need a tutor.” He clips walking closer to me. “And let me make myself clear, this bond. The one You’re dying to mention. Will never happen.” He takes a step back to walk away “And stay off my training ground when I reserve it.” He yells over his shoulder.
I stood frozen in the clearing, the heat of my magic flickering against my skin like embers waiting to ignite. My heart hammered against my ribs, and no matter how much I wanted to shrug it off, Cario n’ s words lingered, sharp and cutting.
This bond will never happen.
The declaration echoed in my mind, and it left me feeling strangely hollow, like the ground had been pulled out from under me and I was left flailing, trying to find my footing.
Why did I care? Why was I still standing here, replaying the way his eyes had burned into mine, the way his voice had curled around those words, the tension between us crackling like fire and lightning clashing in a storm?
“ Asshole,” I muttered under my breath, the word doing little to ease the tight knot in my chest. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, my magic humming in response to my frustration.
What the hell was that ? Who does that? Comes out of nowhere, dumps ice-cold water on someone, picks a fight, and then ends it with a dramatic mic drop about a bond.
I clenched my fists, the heat flaring up again before I forced it back down. He did n’ t know me. He did n’ t know what I could do or what I’ d been through to get here. And he sure as hell did n’ t get to decide what I was capable of.
The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got. He had no idea what I was dealing with, what this bond felt like—not just a hum in the background but something alive, something pushing at the edges of my mind like it wanted to be acknowledged. And the worst part? Now I could n’ t stop thinking about him . That stupid smirk, the way he looked at me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience, like h e’ d already decided I was n’ t worth the effort.
Let me make myself clear… This bond will never happen.
The words rattled around in my skull again, and this time they lit a spark of anger. Fine. If tha t’ s how he wanted to play it, so be it. I did n’ t need him. I did n’ t need his approval, and I sure as hell did n’ t need his help. I have five amazing mates who want me. You've got me all the way fucked up if You think I'm going to chase the one who doesn't want me. Fuck that.
I stopped pacing and took a deep breath, forcing my magic back down until it was nothing more than a simmer beneath my skin. My fingers relaxed, and I rolled my shoulders back, brushing off the lingering tension like dust.
Carion might think he had me all figured out, but he did n’ t know me. Not really. I was n’ t about to let some arrogant guy with a god complex and a sharp jawline dictate how I handled myself—or my magic